Yes, 2012 Sauerkraut is in the crock!

This Mandolin slicer was put into service again this year as I packed 15 pounds of cabbage into my wonderful 4 gallon crock.

At this point in the process, I had just pounded down the first 5 pounds of cabbage. I work in 5 pound mini-batches to ensure that I salt everything evenly all the way through. 5 pounds of cabbage gets 3 tablespoons of salt. I repeated this process 3 times. I had room in the crock for 20 pounds, but I was frankly very tired of slicing.

I weighed down the cabbage and now I just leave it sitting in a cool corner until it becomes sauerkraut. All I have to do is check it once in a while to see if it’s done and if there is any mold floating on the surface of the brine.

That gallon jug has a big dinner plate under it. I’m using this as a weight to ensure an anaerobic environment for fermentation.

Then just cover the whole thing with a towel that your aging children are too embarassed to take to the community pool. In a week or 3 the kraut will be done bubbling and ready to eat or can.

The crock had been in my parents garage for over 30 years before I asked them for it. These cabbage were •almost• moist enough that I didn’t need additional brine, but I did add a little at the end just to help with evaporation.